Agricultural implement



Patented July 3, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFCE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to an agricultural implement and more particularly to `a hoe structure and a v.blade therefor, although the principles may also be adapted to other uses in various .5 tools or other devices.

One of the chief difculties incident to the use of hoes and other lsimilar devices, which in many cases are used in cutting weeds, turf or other matter, is that the blades of such devices 1,0 rapidly become dull, so that they must either be sharpened at frequent intervals or used in their dull state and their utility proportionately impaired. This fault is so prevalent that the eX- pression, as dull as a hoe has for many years 1.5 been a notorious bromide.

Among the objects of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a device and a blade therefor of such character that wear will not in anyway interfere with its continued usefulness,

2.0 and more particularly in which the blade will be as sharp after long use as when new.

A further object of the .invention is to provide an interchangeable blade of the character and for cooperation with a device as above set forth.

AA further object oi the invention is to provide a small, cheapand eflicient implement of the r,character described.

Other objects and advantages of my present invention will be described in and become .apparent vfrom the following specification and appended claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

lFigure l is an elevation of one form of my device, the handle -being foreshortened for convenience of illustration;

Fig. 2 is a View taken at right angles to that of Fig. -1,'with partsvbroken away and in section;

Fig. 3 is an endelevation of the device as seen vfrom the right of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the'line 4 4 of Fig. 3, the handle being broken off fior convenience of illustration; and

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a modified form of my invention, the AView being similar to that of Fig. 1.

Ineorder to-providev a tool or implement of the typeabove referredv towhich will retain its sharpnessfaftenwear,,lemploy for a cutting blade a pieceof. suitable material such as spring steel ofsuch thinness that its sharpness is an inherent property ofthe thinness of the material itself rather ythan a result of a sharpening operation thereon. For this Apurpose sheet spring steel :008 to *.015 inchesinthickness has vbeen found `to be eective. Such material, while having the necessary sharpness and toughness to resist wear, does not normally have the inherent rigidity necessary for the uses to which devices of this character are put. It is necessary, therefore, that this rigidity be artificially imparted thereto. .0.0 For accomplishing this object, I may clamp a flat blade in a position such that it is ilexed within or beyond the elastic limit of the blade material and Ain a direction substantially transverse of the direction of the normal working force which would be applied ,to the implement, which direction is also substantially parallel to the cutting edge of the blade.

Another method of accomplishing the desired result is to use a blade of the same or similar material to that above set forth which is rgiven a preliminary curvature of a permanent nature which -will' not return to a flat form upon release .from its clamping or holding means. Such a blade might beeither a single curved or a corrugated piece of sheet metal. Both types of blades are vto be considered within the purview of Vmy invention.

Thus, .my invention rcomprehends the use of a blade of such thinness andflexibility as not to be B0 self -sustaining in use and the combination of such ablade with a suitable support by which the blade may be secured to a suitable handle orother carf rier orsupport in such a position and manner as to vhave'the necessary rigidity in use.

Turning now more particularly to thedrawing, and particularly Figs. 1 to .4 thereof,;I'have chosen to villustrate-my invention as embodied in a garden hoe having the usual handle 1 tapered somewhat at one-end and provided with any desiredtype of connection with a blade-supporting member 2. As shown, v'these members are connected by the use of an intermediate member 3, which may be T-shaped and formed as illustrated by bending a piece of strip metal. The stem of the T extends A into a longitudinal bore 4 in the tapered end of the 'handle l. Surrounding this tapered end is a ferrule 5, the ierrule, handle and intermediate member all being secured together in any desired manner as by a rivet 6 extending therethrough as illustrated in Fig. 2. The intermediate member `3 and the supporting member 2 maybe secu-red together in any desired manner, the one illus,- trated in the drawing being rivets 7, the ends of .which opposite the handle l being countersunk so as to be flush with the outer surface of the member 2.

The member 2 is rigid and is provided with a convexly curved outer face, that is, the face opposite the handle. To this member and against this face is clamped the flexible blade, which is of light spring steel or other suitable material having the desired characteristics as above set forth. For clamping the blade 8 to the member 2, I prefer to employa complementary clamping member 9, the parts being detachably secured together in any desired manner as by bolts 10 and nuts 11, the former passing through suitable apertures in the members 9 and 2 and either apertures or notches in the blade 8, apertures being shown in the present instance.

While I have shown the blade clamped to the member 2 by the use of a complementary clamping member, it will be understood that this member may in some instances be omitted, and also that the member 2 need not in some cases be as solid as is shown in the accompanying drawing, it being necessary only that some support be provided by which the blade may be held rm and if necessary flexed to substantially the conguration shown.

Considering Figs. 1 to 4, it will be noted that the exing of the blade is in a direction transverse to the direction of the application of force to the implement, whether this force act vertically downward (considering Fig. l) or in a direction parallel to the handle l. Also the nexing or permanent curvature of the blade is substantially parallel to the cutting edge 12 of the blade 8. It will be noted further from a consideration of these figures that the material of the blade is so ilexible that the flexure of the blade at the mid portion adjacent to its connection with the handle is greater than at the cutting edges. Thus the cutting edge 12 of the tool is more nearly similar in contour to older types of hoes and is usable, for example, where it is desired to cut turf along a straight line.

The embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4 is a hoe wherein the blade is substantially perpendicular to the handle. For some persons or purposes, however, it may be desired to have the blade at other than a right angle, such a structure being shown in Fig. 5, and being formed in the same manner as above described with the exception that the connection between the member 2 and the handle 1 is such as to provide for the desired oblique relationship between the parts. The form of the device shown in Figs. l to 4 has the advantage over the other form in that both edges 12 and 12' of the blade may be used interchangeably, thus providing, in effect, two tools, or a blade having a double life. The form of Fig. 5 may also be used on either edge, but usually only for diiferent purposes, although it may be especially useful for these particular purposes due to the difference in the angular position of the blade with respect to the handle when the tool is inverted.

While I have shown and described but two mechanical embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made therein, and the several principles thereof may be adapted to various purposes. I do not wish to be limited therefore, except by the scope of the appended claims, which are to be construed as broadly as the state of the prior art permits.

What I claim is:

1. An agricultural device, comprising asupporting member curved on its outer side in a direction substantially transverse to the direction of application of the working force, a flexible working blade, and means for securing said blade to the curved outer side of said supporting member and thereby flexing said blade to impart rigidity thereto, said member being laterally substantially coextensive with said blade for imparting the necessary rigidity thereto when in use.

2. An agricultural device, comprising, a supporting member curved on its outer side in a direction substantially transverse to the direction of application of the working force, a complementary cap member, and a flexible working blade adapted to be secured between said members, whereby the transverse iiexure of the blade imparts rigidity thereto, said members being laterally substantially coextensive with said blade for imparting the necessary rigidity thereto when in use.

3. An agricultural implement, comprising a handle, a blade support rigid therewith having a face for contact with the blade curved in a direction substantially transverse to the direction of application of the working force, a complementary cap of substantially the same width as said support, and a iiexible working blade of substantially the same width as said support and said cap and adapted to be gripped between said support and said cap, whereby the transverse flexure of the blade imparts rigidity thereto.

In an agricultural device, a curved working blade of insuicient rigidity to be self sustaining in use, and means substantially coextensive laterally with said blade to hold said blade with the curvature thereof in a direction substantially parallel to its cutting edge and thereby impart the required rigidity thereto.

5. In an agricultural device, a curved working blade of material of insuiicient rigidity to be self sustaining in use, and means substantially coextensive laterally with said blade to support said blade in a position such that its curvature is substantially transverse to the direction of application of the working force, whereby it is rigid in use.

6. A hoe structure, comprising a handle member, a blade support secured thereto, a flexible blade of insufficient rigidity to be self sustaining in use, and means substantially coextensive laterally with said blade to secure an intermediate portion of said blade to said support and thereby to flex such portion in a direction substantially transverse of said handle and of the direction of application of the working force, whereby to provide a double sided hoe, the blade of which is rigidiiied by exure.

7. A hoe structure, comprising a handle member, a blade support secured thereto, a curved interchangeable working blade, and means including a clamping member substantially coextensive laterally with said blade for securing said blade to said support in such position that the curve of said blade is in a direction substantially parallel to its cutting edge.

8. A hoe structure, comprising a handle member, a blade support secured thereto and having an outer surface for engagement with a blade which is curved in an arc, the center and plane of curvature of which lie substantially on and through the axis of said handle respectively, a flexible working blade, and means substantially coextensive laterally with said blade for securing said blade to said support and thereby flexing said blade to cause it tc conform to the curve of said support, whereby to impart rigidity to said blade.

9. A hoe structure, comprising a handle, a support adapted to be secured thereto having a face remote from the handle curved in a substantially transverse direction, a flexible working blade said support and for thereby exing it' into conformity with the curved face thereof, and means for securing said support to said handle in such a Way that a perpendicular to said plane is at an acute angle With. the axis of said"` handle.

LGY J SMITH. 

